Just one week to go until the second division kicks off between Schalke and Hertha. It is doubtful whether Paul Seguin will be fit by then.
When Hertha BSC visits Schalke on August 1 for the start of the second division season, the Royal Blues will have to prepare for a dangerous striker. The Berlin club presented Dawid Kownacki as a new signing at the beginning of the week. The 28-year-old has already proven himself as a clinical finisher in the second division, scoring 13 times for Düsseldorf last season. But the “Old Lady” does not want to leave it at that. Although Kownacki was a target for coach Stefan Leitl, another high-profile signing is expected to follow. Hertha is still interested in Mergim Berisha. Coach Stefan Leitl makes no secret of his interest in the two-time German international from TSG Hoffenheim, whose career has recently stalled. “I hope Berisha will join us. But that’s not entirely up to us,” he told Bild.
It remains to be seen whether a transfer will go through before the Schalke game. To do so, the capital club would probably have to sell players to free up budget.
It is also questionable whether Berisha would be an immediate help. He is coming off a difficult period with a cruciate ligament rupture, was most recently on loan to FC Augsburg, and has seen little playing time in the past two years. Before that, however, the 27-year-old scored nine Bundesliga goals in a season for Augsburg, prompting Hoffenheim to pay €14 million for the 2021 U21 European champion.
An attacking trio of top players Fabian Reese, Kownacki, and Berisha would certainly be impressive in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Looking ahead to the opener at Schalke, one thing seems fairly certain: Paul Seguin will not be returning. After two unsuccessful years in the Ruhr region and his controversial transfer in the summer, the midfielder was set for an explosive reunion. However, the 30-year-old has been struggling with calf problems for several weeks now.
He has not played in a friendly since the end of June. If Seguin also misses Friday evening’s dress rehearsal at FC Motherwell in Scotland, it will be clear that he will not be in the starting line-up against his former club. That is likely to annoy coach Leitl, as Seguin, with whom he has worked successfully in the past, plays a central role in his plans. “Paul can give us an incredible amount. In my opinion, we have lost four top players (Maza, Kenny, Scherhant, Niederlechner, editor’s note) and in Paul we have signed one of the most outstanding midfielders in this league,” Leitl said some time ago.